Maria Cebotari, born on February 10, 1910, in Chișinău, Bessarabia, Russian Empire, was a Romanian operatic soprano. She studied at her hometown conservatory and later under Oskar Daniel in Berlin. Her breakthrough came in 1931 with her debut as Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème at the Staatsoper Dresden. Cebotari performed at the Salzburger Festspiele and received the title Kammersängerin in 1934. She sang leading roles in operas by Mozart, Strauss, Verdi, and Puccini, notably partnering with Helge Rosvaenge at the Berliner Staatsoper. During World War II, she appeared in several films. After the war, Cebotari joined the Wiener Staatsoper in 1947 and performed at the London Covent Garden Opera. She died on June 9, 1949, in Vienna from liver cancer. Posthumously, she has been honored with street names in Dresden and Vienna, as well as the Maria Cebotari State Prize in Moldova.
